The present invention relates to decorative devices such as decorative balls commonly known as snowglobes or snowmovers and, more particularly, to such devices which are kinetic.
Decorative devices such as decorative balls are well known. Conventionally, they include a transparent ball having a decorative object or scene therein. The ball is filled with a transparent fluid and tiny particles simulating snow.
The devices are generally static, that is, they contain no moving parts. In order to achieve the effect of a snowfall, the balls are manually shaken to agitate the fluid and particles contained within the ball; an artificial or simulated snowfall is obtained as the particles settle to the bottom. This effect, however, is short lived and in order to again achieve a snowfall the ball must again be shaken.
In order to overcome the short lived nature of the snowfall, some decorative devices include a means, such as a motor and blade, to circulate the fluid continuously within the ball. While this provides a dynamic or kinetic effect to the device, the fluid is not circulated such that the particles flow in a realistic manner from top to bottom as would occur in an actual snowfall. Instead, the particle flows are multidirectional, thereby giving a less pleasing and attractive effect to the snowfall.
Additionally, those decorative devices which include a continuous snowfall are not fully dynamic since the decorative object within the ball is stationary.